Storey's Guide to Raising

This trusted handbook is a must-have for novice and seasoned beekeepers alike. Now totally redesigned and featuring color photos and graphics, the second edition also includes up-to-date information on honey bee health. The go-to reference presents comprehensive yet accessible information on everything from planning hives and installing a colony to preventing disease and managing productive hives that will bear bountiful honey harvests year after year. This publication conforms to the EPUB Accessibility specification at WCAG 2.0 Level AA.   Part of the best-selling series of animal husbandry handbooks, the second edition of the most trusted and comprehensive reference on honey bee health, production, and pollination now features full-color photography and a fresh redesign.​ Dr. Malcolm T. Sanford is professor emeritus at the University of Florida. He has been published extensively in the apiculture press including the journals Bee Culture and American Bee Journal. He has been the author of The Apis Newsletter for more than 20 years at Ohio State University and the University of Florida, writing on beekeeping management, and is the coordinator of the Apis Information Resource Center. He has been a beekeeping management consultant in Egypt, Italy, France, Chile, Ecuador, Iraq, and Mexico. He lives in Gainesville, Florida. Veteran beekeeper Richard E. Bonney, author of Hive Management, Beekeeping, and co-author of Storey's Guide to Keeping Honey Bees, was the longtime owner of Charlemont Apiaries in Charlemont, Massachusetts.  Acknowledgments Preface       1 Beginning Beekeeping Seven Basic Tips for Getting Started • Dimensions of Beekeeping • The Beekeeper's Commitment • Financial Considerations • Stings • Legal Considerations • Finding Resources 2 Origin and History of Beekeeping  Honey Bee Evolution • History of Beekeeping 3 A Bee's Life         What Is a Honey Bee? • Inside the Colony • The Queen • The Worker • The Drone • The Varroa Mite • Activities and Behavior • Patterns of Behavior 4 Choosing Hive Location    The Colony and Your Community • Weather Issues • Forage Availability 5 Getting Equipped              Hive Design and Dimensions • Hive Materials • Supers • Frames and Foundation • Bottom Board • Queen Excluder • Covers • Hive Stand • Hive Scale • Feeders • Pollen Trap • Tools of the Trade • Beekeeper Garb 6 Enter the Bees   Smoker Basics • Package Bees • Installing a Nucleus Colony • Starting with an Established Colony • Swarm! • A Wild or Feral Colony 7 Managing Honey Bee Colonies        Working a Colony • The Beekeeper as Manager • A Colony's Yearly Life Cycle • Population Cycle • The Apicultural Calendar • Late-Season Management • Requeening • Managing Nutrition • Cooking for the Bees 8 Taking the Crop The Honey Crop • Harvesting the Crop • Processing the Crop • Storing the Crop • Chunk and Comb Honey • Other Bee Products 9 Pollination          Unique Challenges • Small-Scale Pollination • Is Pollination for You? 10 Diseases and Pests of the Honey Bee           Innate Defense Mechanisms • Brood Diseases • Adult Diseases • Parasitic Mites • Integrated Pest Management • Tolerant or Resistant Stock • Colony Collapse Disorder • Wax Moth • Small Hive Beetle • Black Bears • For More Information 11 Additional Strategies Beehive Design • Alternative Management Practices • Toward a Honey Bee–Friendly Future Glossary      Model Beekeeping Ordinance            Sample Pollination Contract Resources      A Sampling of U.S. Beekeeping Supply Houses • Sources of Beekeeping Information Metric Conversion Charts Index Whether you have a single rooftop hive, a few bee boxes i

Discover how raising your own meat goats can be a fun and profitable endeavor. Offering plenty of tips for creating an economically viable operation and identifying niche markets for your products, “Storey's Guide to Raising Meat Goats” shows you how to care for a thriving and productive herd full of healthy and happy animals. With expert advice on selecting the best breed for your needs, maintaining facilities, and providing necessary medical attention, this guide covers all aspects of successfully keeping meat goats. Part of the successful “Storey's Guide to Raising” series of animal books.

With in-depth information on feeding, housing, behavior, and health care, this comprehensive guide also provides proven strategies for creating a profitable business plan and marketing your products. Whether you're about to acquire your first ducks or are interested in experimenting with rare breeds, “Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks” will help you achieve your duck-raising goals. Covering everything from breeding to butchering, Dave Holderread provides all the information you need to know to successfully raise your own ducks. A perfect choice for many farmers, ducks produce eggs and meat efficiently, thrive in inclement weather, help control insect and snail populations, and they're also entertaining and beautiful. From selecting the breed that's right for you to rearing, housing, and caring for your birds, “Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks” provides essential advice and practical know-how you need to keep a thriving flock. The revised and updated second edition includes: *Expanded coverage of 23 domestic North American breeds *Preview of natural and artificial incubation *Revised and expanded guide to duck colors *Up-to-date information on disease prevention and treatment *Guidelines for showing *Tips on rare breed conservation

“Storey's Guide to Raising Sheep” is the bestselling, most trusted reference for farmers and backyard homesteaders with any size flock. The fifth edition is now updated with full-color illustrations and photographs throughout, including a gallery of the best breed choices for both meat and fiber. With their small size and gentle dispositions, sheep are one of the easier livestock species to raise and offer varied marketing opportunities, including meat, wool, and milk. Detailed instructions and graphics lead readers through every essential procedure, including shearing, building a lambing shed, breeding and lambing, butchering, and marketing. The updated fifth edition of the classic bestselling guide to raising sheep now features full-color photography and completely updated information for a new generation of small-scale farmers and homesteaders. For farmers and backyard homesteaders, this bestselling resource is the most comprehensive guide to success with flocks of any size. Whether you're raising sheep for meat, wool, or milk, you'll find detailed instructions covering everything from health, breeding, and facilities to shearing, showing, and marketing. Preface 1: Starting with Sheep Some Background on Sheep - Sheep Farming Today - Behavior - Breeds - Buying Sheep - Home at Last 2: Breeding and Breeds Breeding and Genetics - Genetic Diversity and Sheep Breeds - Individual Breeds 3: Pasture, Fences, and Facilities Pasture - Fencing - Facilities 4: Herding Dogs Traits of Herding Dogs - Breeds - Selecting a Dog - Training - Dog Trials 5: Protecting against Predators Managing for Predators - Guardian Animals 6: Feeds and Feeding Digestion - Nutrients - Feeding Practices - Types of Feed 7: General Health Considerations Healthy Strategies - Recognizing Sick Sheep - Alternative Health Practices - Natural Defenses - Causes of Illness in Sheep - Parasites - Other Disorders of Sheep - Drugs for Sheep 8: Problems of Rams, Ewes, and Lambs Problems with Rams - Disorders in Ewes - Lamb Problems 9: Flock Management Successful Breeding - The Ram - Ewes 10: Lambing Preparation for Lambing - The Lambing Process - After Lambing - Problems with Newborn Lambs - Orphan Lambs - Care of Baby Lambs 11: Products and Marketing Merchandising to Reach Your Market - Wool - Meat and Milk - Pelts - The Live-Animal Business - Odds and Ends - Recipes 12: Showing Sheep Kinds of Shows - Show Classes - Training Sheep - Fitting - Show Ring Strategies 13: Records and Animal Identification National Sheep Improvement Program - Computer Software and Spreadsheets - Sample Record Charts Appendixes Lambing Calendar Feed Requirements Composition of Common Feedstuffs Resources Glossary Metric Conversion Charts Index

Serious poultry farmers and backyard bird raisers have relied on this best-selling reference for more than 20 years. The fourth edition of Gail Damerow's comprehensive handbook is now completely revised and redesigned, making it more accessible and informative than ever. You'll get the most up-to-date details on shelter, food, health care, eggs, chicks, and meat, and recent research into chicken behavior and communication makes the sections on flock management truly authoritative. New color photos and illustrations provide more specificity and information about chicken breeds, anatomy, and health. With 372,000 copies in print, this is the most trusted and comprehensive reference on every aspect of chicken care, housing, feeding, and health care. The full-color new edition features the most current practices and a fresh new design. Gail Damerow has raised chickens for more than four decades and has written extensively about poultry and other livestock, gardening, and rural know-how. Her 17 books include The Chicken Encyclopedia, Hatching and Brooding Your Own Chicks, and the essential wellness guide for a thriving flock: The Chicken Health Handbook. Preface 1 Choosing a Breed   Breeds   Breed Selection   Purebred versus Hybrid   Which First – Chicks or Eggs?   Examining Birds   Getting Started 2 Fowl Disposition   Fowl Language   When the Cock Crows   Peck Order   Fowl Intelligence 3 Shelter   Free Range   Fenced Range   Portable Shelters   Permanent Shelters   Cages   Fences 4 Feed and Water   Water   The Natural Chicken   Feed Choices   Feeding Routines   Feeders   Feed Storage 5 Routine Management   Cannibalism   Predators   Weather Considerations   Coop Cleanup   Dealing with Manure   Trimming Procedures   Handling Chickens   Enterprise Integration 6 Health Care   Biosecurity   Parasites   Health, Disease, and Disease Resistance   Poisons and Other Hazards   First Aid 7 Laying-Hen Management   Egg Formation   Layer Nutrition   Controlled Lighting   Distinguishing Layers from Liars   Egg Issues   Flock Replacement   Egg Sales 8 Eggs for Eating   Egg Collection   Egg Quality   Egg Safety   Nutritional Value   Preserving Eggs 9 Managing a Breeder Flock   Rise and Fall of Breeds   Breeding Plan   Methods of Breeding   The Gene Connection   Inbreeding Depression   Culling for a Healthy, Hardy Flock   Feeding Breeders   Mating Logistics   Artificial Insemination   Sex Determination 10 Hatching Eggs   Egg Collection   Natural Incubation   Incubating Eggs Artificially   Candling the Eggs   The Hatch   Chick Identification   Record Keeping 11 Chick Care   Natural Brooding   Mechanical Brooders   Brooder Features   Feed and Water   Chick Problems and Solutions 12 Exhibiting Your Chickens   Why Show?   Selecting Birds for Show   Rules of the Game   Coop Training   Conditioning   At the Show   After the Show   Become a Master Exhibitor 13 Managing Meat Birds   Meat Breeds   Management Methods   Feeding Meat Birds   Broiler Health Issues   Production and Marketing Choices   Readiness for Butchering 14 Meat on the Table   Killing   Picking   Evisceration   Cooling   Cutting Up   Storing Poultry   Sanitation and Safety Glossary Recommended Reading Index Metric Conversion Charts Whether you are raising a few backyard chickens or a flock of 100, this is the book you need to keep your birds healthy and safe. With the most up-to-date information on shelter, food, eggs, chicks, health care, and meat, this time-tested authority can help beginners and seasonsed pros alike find success with a flock. "Not only is Damerow a knowledgeable

Stressing the importance of sustainable and environmentally friendly farming practices, farmer Kelly Klober provides expert advice on making any size hog operation more efficient and profitable in Storey's Guide to Raising Pigs. The most comprehensive book available on the topic, this fourth edition features the most up-to-date practices, illustrated with color photography. Both beginners and experienced farmers will find all the information they need to select, house, care for, breed, and butcher pigs, along with marketing advice. The fourth edition of the most trusted and comprehensive pig-raising reference features color photography and updated information on pig care, breed selection, housing, and health. Kelly Klober is the author of Storey's Guide to Raising Pigs and has raised purebred hogs on his Missouri farm for almost 40 years. He writes, speaks, and consults on many small-farm topics, including farmers' markets, breed preservation, chicken health, and sustainable practices.   Raise hogs in a healthy, profitable manner with expert guidance and practical advice from long-time hog farmer Kelly Klober. Whether you're a small farmer or an artisanal breeder, this comprehensive guide gives you everything you need to know to be successful. Learn how to choose the right breed for your farm; oversee breeding, birthing, and nursing; manage safe, humane housing and fencing options; butcher your hogs and process the pork; and effectively market your hogs and pork. Preface   1 An Introduction to Raising Hogs Hog-Farming Trends * Modern Pork Production * Hog Myths * Talkin' Hog * Thinking Hogs * Identify Your Markets           2 Breeds Tried and True        Choosing Breeding Stock for Small Farms * Modern Swine Breeds * Why Purebred Hogs Instead of Hybrids? * Choose a Breed Type to Match Your Farm * Pigs as Pets   3 Raising Hogs for the Family Table  The Facilities * Essential Equipment * Buying a Pig or Two * Feeding Hogs * Bringing Your Pigs Home * Swine Finishing   4 Home Butchering and Pork Processing     Slaughtering the Hog * Breaking Down the Carcass * Butchering * Putting Away the Pork * Preserving Pork * There's Pork in This? - Pork Recipes   5 Fitting and Showing Hogs               Showing Market Hogs * Showing Breeding Stock   6 The Hog Business                Running a Manageable Operation * How Many Hogs for Success? * Know Your Market * A Shift in Feeder-Pig Production * Show Pigs * Farrow-to-Finish Production * Finishing Hogs * Breeding-Stock Production * Direct Marketing Your Own Pork * What about Organic? * Contented Hogs * Lean and Green   7 Preparing for Your Herd     The Drylot * The Pasture * Fencing Choices * The Range House * Farrowing Structures * Housing for Sows with Nursing Pigs   8 Selecting Breeding Stock                Shopping for Livestock * Performance Data * Gilt Selection * Boar Selection * Bidding Decisions   9 Managing Your Breeding Herd                  Bringing in the Boar * Bringing in Gilts * Breeding Gilts * What's Best for the Boar * Gestation * Farrowing * The Pig at Birth * Caring for the Newborn Pig * Postfarrowing Sow Care * Care for Nursing Pigs * Weaning * Growout   10 Hog Health Care                A New Vulnerability * Breed Your Way Back to Vigor * A Health-Care Philosophy * Just the Basics * Veterinary Care * Injections * Parasite Control * Swine Ailments and Illnesses   11 Managing Your Hog Operation                Record Keeping * Marketing Hogs * The Hog Industry: Today and Tomorrow   12 Day-to-Day Life with Hogs                        Movin' Hogs the Easy Way * Managing Information * Do It Right the First Time * Take Time to Scratch Their Ears * Goals * Every Pig Is Precious * Buying at Auction * Hog-Farm Fa

This bestselling handbook is packed with detailed information on housing, feeding, and fencing dairy goats. It's been the trusted resource on the topic for farmers and homesteaders since it was originally published in 1975, and the new edition - completely updated and redesigned, makes “Storey's Guide to Raising Dairy Goats” more comprehensive and accessible than ever. In-depth sections explain every aspect of milking, including necessary equipment, proper hand-milking techniques, and handling and storing the milk. New color illustrations show each stage of kidding, and substantial chapters on dairy goat health and breeding include the most up-to-date research and practices. With 307,000 copies in print, this is the most trusted and comprehensive reference on every aspect of dairy goat care, housing, feeding, health care, breeding, and milking. Raising a healthy, productive milking herd requires lots of information and close attention to detail. This comprehensive handbook is the only reference you'll need. Learn how to: Choose the right goats for your goals Set up secure fencing and humane facilities Keep your herd healthy Oversee breeding and kidding Milk your does properly Produce cheese, yogurt, soap, and chevon 1: Basic Information about Goats Terms to Know Goat Myths and Truths A Little History Breeds of Goats Selecting a Breed So You Want a Goat? 2: Milk How Much Milk? Discovering a New Taste Goat Milk as "Medicine" Exploding More Goat Milk Myths Goat Milk vs. Cow Milk Raw Milk vs. Pasteurized 3: Getting Your Goat Beginning Your Search Terms to Learn Which Goat Is Best for You? Spotting a "Good" Goat Assessing a Goat's Worth Getting Your Goat Home 4: Housing Ideal Housing Size Requirements The Manger Gates, Latches, and Fences Other Considerations Final Thoughts 5: Fencing How Much Is Necessary What Kind of Fence? 6: Feeding The Long and the Short of It The Digestive System Basic Nutritional Requirements Formulating a Goat Ration The Science and Art of Feeding 7: Grooming Hoof Care Disbudding Dehorning Tattooing Hair Care 8: Health The Natural State Finding and Using a Veterinarian How to Tell If Your Goat Is Sick An A-to-Z Guide to Common Health Problems Don't Expect to Be a Goat Doctor 9: The Buck Whether or Not to Keep a Buck Improving the Breed Choosing a Buck Living with a Buck Caring for the Buck 10: Breeding Milking Through Preparing for Breeding Successful Breeding 11: Kidding Anticipating the Delivery The Birth Caring for the Newborns 12: Raising Kids Early Feeding Weaning Castration 13: Milking Milking Essentials Facilities: A Milking Parlor or In-Barn Milking Preparing to Milk Milking Procedure Milk Handling Cleaning Your Equipment 14: Keeping Records The Basic Barn Record Figuring Out Cost Capital Costs and Operating Expenses

Storey's Guide to Training Horses is a one-stop reference for every aspect of horse training, including a complete program for turning a shy and gangly foal into a calm, confident, well-balanced equine partner. Now with full-color photography, the third edition includes step-by-step guidance on all the essential training procedures for both English- and Western-style riding, including haltering and leading, saddling and mounting, and addresses the finer points of gaits, lightness, and collection. Best-selling author Heather Smith Thomas draws on her decades of equestrian experience to anticipate every situation that might arise and provide answers to managing all the potential challenges of training different types of horses. This fully-updated, full-color comprehensive guide on training horses covers every aspect of shaping confident, skillful horses, from foals to mature horses, and for work and riding. Heather Smith Thomas has written extensively on animal health care, authoring thousands of articles and 24 books on the subject. Her books include Storey's Guide to Raising Beef Cattle, Essential Guide to Calving, Getting Started with Beef & Dairy Cattle, The Cattle Health Handbook, The Horse Conformation Handbook, Storey's Guide to Raising Horses, Storey's Guide to Training Horses, and Stable Smarts. She raises cattle and horses on her family ranch in Salmon, Idaho. Preface Introduction 1 Basic Safety Practices    Safety First - Safe Ground Handling - Safety when Riding 2 Horse Sense and Training Psychology    Understanding Horses - The Horse-Human Relationship - Training Principles - Training Aids - How to Avoid Conflict and Common Pitfalls 3 Handling and Training the Foal    Learning Begins with Imprinting - Imprinting Your Foal - Handling a Foal during the First Weeks - First Leading Lessons - Beginning Lessons in Foot Handling - Beginning Lessons in Tying - Grooming Lessons for Handling and Patience - Advanced Leading Lessons - Basic Lesson Planning - Avoid Spoiling the Foal - Dealing with Challening Personalities - Know the Foal's Limits and Abilities 4 Handling and Training the Weanling    Weaning a Foal - Train Consistently, Gently, and with Authority - Training Lessons for Routine Health Care - Life Lessons - Loving without Spoiling 5 The Yearling and the 2-Year-Old    Crash Course for an Unhandled Young Horse - Round-Pen Training - Leading Lessons for the Yearling and 2-Year-Old - Teaching a Horse to Back Up at Halter - Beginning Tying - Perfecting His Tying - Lessons in Blanketing - Continue the Leading Lessons - Longeing - Ponying the Young Horse 6 Ground Work before Riding    Bridling Beginners - Saddling Beginners - Maneuverability and Control 7 Bits and Their Uses    Snaffles - Curb Bits - The Pelham - The Double Bridle - Ensure Proper Fit - Choosing a Training Bit - The Importance of Good Hands - The Hackamore 8 Bitting and Driving    Bitting Ground Work - Bit Resistance - Training the Driving Horse and Pony - Selecting a Cart - Pulling Preparation - Pulling a Cart: First Lessons - Gradual Conditioning 9 First Mounted Lessons    Accustom the Horse to the Saddle - First Mounting - Moving Out - Stopping and Turning - Short Rides around the Pen - First Trotting Lessons - Don't Canter Yet - Nip Problems in the Bud 10 First Rides in the Open    Safety Precautions - Everything Is New and Different - Overcoming the Fear of Strange Obstacles - Shying - A Little Quiet Time - Riding along Roads 11 The Walk    How the Horse Moves - Training at the Walk - Teaching a Faster Walk - Calming the Excitable Horse 12 The Trot    How the Horse Moves - First Trotting Lessons for the Green Horse - The Jog - The Slow Trot - The Working (Medium) Trot - The Extended Trot - Walk-Trot Transitions - Change of Speed and Stride Length - Improving the Stop from a Trot - Trotting in Circles -

Whether a farmer is raising one cow or a herd, “Storey's Guide to Raising Beef Cattle” is the most reliable reference for ensuring a successful, healthy cattle operation. In this fully updated, full-color fourth edition, long-time cattle rancher and author Heather Smith Thomas explains every aspect of bovine behavior and provides expert guidance on breed selection, calving, feeding, housing, pasture, and health care. Along with in-depth information on raising grass-fed animals, there is also advice on creating a viable business plan and identifying niche markets for selling beef. The fourth edition of the most trusted and comprehensive reference on beef cattle health care, breed selection, and grass-fed cattle—raising techniques is now fully revised and updated, featuring color photography and illustration. Chapter 1 Breeds and Genetics: An Overview Choosing Beef Cattle - Breeds and Types of Beef Cattle - Which Type Is Best? - Inheritance of Traits - Crossbreeding and Hybrid Vigor - Selecting for Certain Characteristics Chapter 2: Handling and Behavior of Beef Cattle Basic Cow Psychology - Grazing Behavior - Training Cattle - Moving Cattle - Avoiding Injury Chapter 3: Issues in Buying and Selling Buying a Weaned Calf to Raise for Beef - Buying Calves at Auction - Buying from a Farmer - Buying a Heifer - What Makes a Good Beef Cow? - Buying Pregnant Heifers or Cows - Buying Open Yearlings - Marketing Cattle - Dealing with Shrink - Getting Cattle Ready for Market Chapter 4: General Guidelines for Raising Beef Cattle Understanding Your Calf's Behavior - Care for the Weaned Calf - Winter Care of the New Calf - Summer Care of the Yearling - The End Product: Beef - Feeds and Finishing Chapter 5: Pasture, Fencing, and Facilities Pastures: Sizes and Types - Water - Pasture Fencing - Pens and Facilities - Working in Corrals - Feeding Facilities - Equipment and Supplies Chapter 6: Feeding Cattle Basic Nutrition - Digestion - Feeding Forages (Roughages) - Nutritional Needs Vary - Winter Feeding Chapter 7: Keeping Cattle Healthy Know What a Healthy Animal Looks Like - Vaccinations - Bovine Respiratory Disease - Clostridial Diseases - Rabies - Coccidiosis - Eye Problems - Foot Rot - Lump Jaw - Bony Lump Jaw - Mastitis in Beef Cows - Hardware Disease - Urinary Calculi (Bladder Stones) - Bloat - Acidosis and Laminitis - Poisoning: Toxic Plants - Emphysema - Nitrate Poisoning - Internal Parasites - External Parasites - Skin Problems - Porcupine Quills - Snakebite - Strangulated Teat from Hairy Udder Chapter 8: Growing and Breeding Heifers Feeding Weaned Heifers - Age at Puberty - When to Breed - Nutrition for the Pregnant Yearling - Basics of Reproduction in Cattle - Choosing the Bull and Getting the Heifer Bred Chapter 9: Care of the Pregnant Cow Nutrition - Disease Prevention - Problems of Pregnancy Chapter 10: Calving Create a Safe Environment for Calving - Calving Facilities - Cold-Weather Calving - Handling Cows at Calving Time - Signs of Approaching Parturition - Minimizing Calving Problems: Getting the Calves Born Alive - First Things First: Get the Calf Breathing Chapter 11: Care of the Newborn Calf First Breath - Care of the Umbilical Cord - Helping a Calf to Nurse - Importance of Colostrum - Helping in Different Situations

Now with full-color photography and illustrations throughout, the completely updated third edition of Storey's Guide to Raising Horses is the most comprehensive horse husbandry handbook available, whether you're a first-time owner or an experienced horse handler. Covering everything you need to know about facilities, breeding, and health care, this new edition features a photographic gallery of many types of horses, expanded material on recognizing, preventing, and treating a wide range of health issues, including insulin resistance, skin conditions, and digestive disorders, new vaccination protocols, including vaccinating for West Nile Virus, and updated information on breeding methods, foaling problems, and the care of broodmares and new foals. Now in full color, the third edition of the best-selling Storey's Guide to Raising Horses features the most up-to-date information on every aspect of housing, pasturing, breeding, and health. Heather Smith Thomas has written extensively on animal health care, authoring thousands of articles and 24 books on the subject. Her books include Storey's Guide to Raising Beef Cattle, Essential Guide to Calving, Getting Started with Beef & Dairy Cattle, The Cattle Health Handbook, The Horse Conformation Handbook, Storey's Guide to Raising Horses, Storey's Guide to Training Horses, and Stable Smarts. She raises cattle and horses on her family ranch in Salmon, Idaho. Equine expert Heather Smith Thomas coaches both first-time owners and experienced horse handlers with calm, clear advice on intelligent horsekeeping. From starting your newborn foal on a healthy path to caring for your aging horse, this go-to resource covers every situation that's likely to arise.

Whether you're running a farm or interested in keeping a few backyard birds, “Storey's Guide to Raising Poultry” covers everything you need to know to successfully raise your own chickens, turkeys, waterfowl, and more. Stressing humane practices throughout, Glenn Drowns provides expert advice on breed selection, housing, feeding, behavior, breeding, health care, and processing your own meat and eggs. With tips on raising specialty species like doves, ostriches, and peafowl, you'll be inspired to experiment with new breeds and add diversity to your poultry operation. This classic guide to chickens, turkeys, waterfowl, and game birds is now fully revised and expanded to inform and support backyard hobbyists and small farmers who want to use natural, humane practices and raise a variety of interesting breeds. Part 1: Getting Started 1 Should I Raise Poultry? 2 Housing and Supplies 3 Poultry Biology 4 Baby Basics 5 Feeds and Feeding 6 Heritage Breeds Part 2: Choosing the Right Chickens 7 Laying Chickens 8 Meat Chickens 9 Dual-Purpose Chickens 10 Bantams 11 Ornamental Chickens Part 3: Turkeys, Waterfowl, Guineas, and More 12 Turkeys 13 Waterfowl 14 Guineas 15 Coturnix Quail 16 Game Birds 17 The "Uncommon" Poultry Part 4: Fowl Practices 18 Incubation 19 Home Processing 20 So, You Want to Be a Breeder? 21 Marketing and Sales 22 Showing Poultry 23 Poultry as Pets Part 5: The Bigger Picture 24 Growing Your Own Feed 25 Flock Health 26 Dealing with Predators 27 Government Regulation 28 Calendar Considerations Appendix A: Poultry Feed Requirements B: Characteristics Indicating High and Low Egg Production Characteristics of Layers and Nonlayers C: U.S. Weight Classes for Shell Eggs D: U.S. Standards for Quality of Individual Shell Eggs E: Incubation Troubleshooting Chart F: Poultry Ailments Checklist and Diagnostic Aids G: Using a Wet-Bulb System H: Types of Rodenticides I: Poultry Manure Information Resources Glossary Index A diverse flock of poultry can provide free-range meat, a rainbow of eggs, and endless entertainment-all delivered from the confines of your backyard or small farm. Glenn Drowns, an expert on rare breeds and varieties of turkeys, ducks, geese, chickens, and other birds, delivers everything you need to know to raise healthy, safe poultry.

Turkeys are an excellent source of succulent meat, rich eggs, and nutrient-dense manure, and raising them is a rewarding and profitable activity for many farmers. With helpful tips on acquiring organic certification, processing both meat and eggs, and marketing your products, you'll have all the information you need to successfully raise your own healthy and productive turkeys. Storey's Guide to Raising Turkeys provides expert information on breed selection, facilities management, health care, and slaughtering. Don Schrider is a poultry aficionado and has written on the topic for many publications, including Mother Earth News, Backyard Poultry, Chickens, Countryside and Small Stock Journal, and Poultry Press. He is a master breeder of Brown Leghorn and Buckeye chickens and has worked with the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy on various projects. He lives in Vermont. Not only are turkeys an excellent source of succulent meat, rich eggs, and nutrient-dense manure, but they are curious, social, and friendly as well: a perfect and profitable choice for many farmers. Don Schrider brings his hands-on experience to this one-stop reference for humanely raising healthy turkeys. The revised and updated third edition includes: - Descriptions of more than a dozen heritage varieties - Humane handling methods - Feeding practices, including pasture-based production - Breeding, incubation, and brooding - Disease prevention - Protection from predators - Organic certification standards Preface Introduction The Nature of the Bird * Natural Habitat 1 History An American Original * European Contact * Colonial America * Breed Improvements 2 Varieties of Turkeys Three Turkey Types * Wild Turkeys * Commercial Broad-Breasted Turkeys * Heritage Turkey Varieties * Securing Stock * Shipping and Receiving 3 Building and Equipment Management Systems * Housing * Equipment 4 Feeds and Feeding Feed Types * Natural Balancing * Feeding * Feeding Philosophy * Feeding the Breeders 5 Incubation Collection of Eggs * Incubator Setup * Egg Position and Turning * Candling * When to Open the Incubator * Poult Defects Caused by Improper Incubation * Identification and Tracking * Removing Poults from the Incubator 6 Brooding Imitating Nature * Natural Brooding * Before Brooding * The Brooder and Brooder House * Primary Brooding Challenges * Receiving Shipped Poults * Maturing Poults * Observing Poult Behavior 7 Pastured Production Overview of the Three Systems * The Challenges of Overstocking * Learning from Nature * Rotational Grazing * Fencing Basics * Movable Roosts and Feeders * Permanent Fencing * Guardian Dogs * Roosts * Shade * Pasture * Manure * Putting Poults on Pasture 8 Protection from Predators Small Predators * Medium-sized Predators * Large Predators * Flying Predators * Prevention * Fencing * Guardian Dogs * Your Ecosystem * Turkey Nature 9 Killing and Processing Assessing Readiness for Processing * Care before Killing * Processing Area and Equipment * Killing * Debraining * Scalding * Plucking * Eviscerating * Cleaning the Giblets * Trussing * Chilling and Packaging * State and Federal Grading and Inspection 10 Breeding Nature's Way * Human Impact * A Philosophy of Good Breeding * Genes * Breeds, Varieties, and Strains of Turkeys * Breeding Methods * Breeding Tools * Culling * Care of Breeding Turkeys * Storing Eggs * Egg Production * Selection * Applying What You've Learned * Artificial Insemination 11 The Turkey Enterprise Consistency * Source of Stock * System of Production * Feed * Transporting * Processing * Product Marketing * Product Storage and Shipping * Inspections and Certifications * Marketing Your Turkeys 12 Flock Health Disease Prevention Starts with Good Health * Disease Basics * Turkey Diseases * Turkey Parasites * Disease Prevention * Nutritional Deficiencies * Miscellaneous Problems * Disposal

Whether you want to the make most of a small plot of land or add diversity to a large farm, raising miniature livestock can be a fun and profitable experience. With expert advice on choosing a breed that suits your needs, Sue Weaver shows you how to house, feed, and care for miniature goats, sheep, donkeys, pigs, horses, cattle, and llamas. You'll be inspired by profiles of successful breeders as you learn everything you need to know to keep your miniature livestock healthy and productive. Whatever your interest in minis, this reliable resource guides you through choosing, caring for, training, and breeding mini horses, donkeys, mules, pigs, cattle, sheep, goats, and llamas. Section 1: Raising Miniature Livestock 1 Before You Begin 2 Which Species? 3 Getting Started: Education, Vets, and Where to Buy 4 Selecting Miniature Livestock 5 Livestock Guardians 6 Facilities and Fences 7 Feeding 8 Health 9 Identification 10 Transportation 11 Breeding 12 Got Milk? 13 The Business End Section 2: The Species 14 Miniature Cattle 15 Miniature Equines 16 Miniature Goats 17 Miniature Llamas 18 Miniature Pigs 19 Miniature Sheep Appendix: Emergency Euthanasia Resources Glossary Index The Super-Size Guide to Miniature Animals Miniature farm animals have so much more to offer than their adorable appearance. Exhibit pint-size animals at fairs and 4-H events, raise mini sheep for wool or meat, milk little cows and goats, and train tiny horses, donkeys, and mules to pull wagons or work as therapy animals. Whatever your interest in minis, this reliable resource guides you through choosing, caring for, training, and breeding mini horses, donkeys, mules, pigs, cattle, sheep, goats, and llamas. Why choose miniature animals over full-size? - Minis thrive on less land. - Feed and housing costs are significantly lower. - Handling small animals (hoof trimming, shearing, milking) is easier and safer. - Minis are profitable! There is a thriving market for the small animals you breed.

The fifth edition of this best-selling handbook features the same detailed approach that has made it the trusted source for raising healthy, productive rabbits - plus a total redesign with color photos and graphics. Whether you're interested in raising rabbits for show, meat, fur, or as pets, this comprehensive guide offers expert advice on breed selection, housing, feeding, humane handling, and more. In addition, author Bob Bennett includes the most up-to-date information on preventive health care, treating diseases, marketing, and showing. This publication conforms to the EPUB Accessibility specification at WCAG 2.0 Level AA.   Part of the best-selling series of animal husbandry handbooks, the fifth edition of the most trusted and comprehensive reference on rabbit care, breeding, housing, and health care now features full-color photography and a fresh design. Bob Bennett is the author of six books on rabbit raising, including Storey's Guide to Raising Rabbits and Rabbit Housing, as well as numerous magazine and newspaper articles. He has served as the editor of Rabbits magazine, has been a contributing editor to Countryside magazine, and is the founder of Domestic Rabbits and a past director of the American Rabbit Breeders Association. An Air Force veteran, Bennett has a master's degree from New York University and lives in Vermont, where he has raised rabbits for more than 50 years. Whether you have just one pet bunny or a rabbit farm, this is the only reference you'll need. Learn how to choose the right breed; make and maintain a humane, all-wire hutch; keep your rabbits healthy; mate a buck and doe safely and effectively; wean and house a new litter; and market fiber and meat successfully. Preface: For the Love of Rabbits Acknowledgments               Part I: Getting Started 1 Why Start? First of All, Good Eating • Rabbits Serve Science • The Fancier's Role • Would You Believe 12 Million Rabbits? • Here's Where You Come In • Progress in Raising Rabbits 2 The Right Rabbit A 40-Million-Year-Old Species? • American Domestics: Probably Not Belgian Hares • Choose Your Market • The Enticing Economics of a Small Breeding-Stock Rabbitry • Choose the Right Rabbit • Coat Types 3 Obtaining the Right Foundation Stock Crossbreds Are the Least Valuable • A Pedigreed Rabbit Has Papers • Registration • What Does It All Mean? • The Best Rabbit Raisers • How to Find a Raiser • What to Expect When You Buy • How to Build Your Herd • What You Can Expect to Pay for Purebreds • Purchasing by Mail Order • Bringing Your Rabbits Home 4 A Gallery of Breeds            Part II: Housing, Feeding, and Breeding 5 Housing and Equipment You Are in Charge • Why the All-Wire Hutch? • How to Make a Wire Hutch • Creature Comforts: Situating the Hutch • Building a Dream Barn • Rabbit Sheds • Other Rabbit-Shed Options • The Economics of Sheds • Other Equipment and Considerations 6 Feeding Rabbits Right      Pellets Make the Ideal Feed • Feed Supplements • General Feeding Guidelines • My Preferred Lifetime Feeding Regimen • What Else Should You Know? 7 Breeding and Producing Rabbits    Mating Your First Pair • Is She Pregnant? • Time for the Nest Box • The New Litter • Breeding the Doe Again • Weaning and Housing the Litter • The Problems of Weather • Keeping Breeding Records • Ear Identification • Choosing Future Breeders • Methods of Breeding • Reminders That Bear Restating   Part III: Marketing and Miscellany 8 To the Best Market: Selling Rabbits The Meat Market • Slaughtering and Butchering • The Laboratory Market • Breeding Stock • The Ironclad Guarantee • Let's Set a Price • Good Records Make Future Sales • What Else to Sell? • Some Sales Advice from Rabbit Raisers • Trends in the Rabbit Business • Reviewing So